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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27496576">It's late. Shouldn't you be asleep?</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schreibmaschine/pseuds/Schreibmaschine'>Schreibmaschine</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Archive for my tumblr prompts [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Assassin's Creed - All Media Types, Prototype (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, Late Night Conversations, M/M, good communication</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 22:08:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>735</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27496576</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Schreibmaschine/pseuds/Schreibmaschine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Being a virus stuck with the memories of all the people he killed, Alex has problems staying himself. Thankfully there is a special human who can keep him gorunded.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alex Mercer/Desmond Miles</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Archive for my tumblr prompts [12]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1954156</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>35</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>It's late. Shouldn't you be asleep?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This was published on my tumblr @fandom-necromancer!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>As Desmond woke up, he didn’t know what the cause for it had been. It was still dark, supposedly the middle of the night, as he couldn’t even make out the clock in the pitch black. He blinked a few times and shuffled to his other side to fall asleep as he saw a silhouette in the moonlight at the window and froze. Only as he recognised the familiar outline and made out one or two thoughtless tendrils twirling in the dark, he relaxed and sat up.<br/>
‘It’s late. Shouldn’t you be asleep?’ He asked rubbing his eyes.<br/>
The other didn’t move, didn’t speak. Only the twitching tendril told Desmond he had heard him.<br/>
‘Alex, what’s wrong? It’s not like you to seek company. Tell me.’<br/>
‘I’m sorry I woke you up. It’s nothing.’<br/>
Desmond threw back the blanket, mourning for the lost warmth, and stood up. He walked over to the virus - the chill night air on his bare skin as he had only slept in his boxers. ‘Hey, buddy, you came to my room in the middle of the night. If I haven’t known you better, I would have said you wanted to creep on me. But I know you. Something isn’t right and I would like to know what it is. Only then I can try to help.’<br/>
Alex sighed deeply after a stretch of silence that had Desmond questioning whether he would get an answer at all. ‘Being around you reminds me who I am, who I’m supposed to be. I would just like to sit here for a moment.’<br/>
‘I’m flattered’, Desmond tried to ease the tension a little. ‘But I don’t understand.’<br/>
‘You know I killed people, right?’, Alex turned around to face the assassin although he couldn’t see much underneath the hood in this light. ‘I consumed them, added them to my biomass. But I also consume memories. I know <em>everything </em>these persons did. I know every thought they ever had. And there are so many it sometimes gets difficult to fight them down. To stay myself and… remember what is my life and what is theirs. Especially when I do sleep and begin to dream.’<br/>
‘Is that why you sleep so rarely?’, Desmond asked gently.<br/>
‘Partially. I don’t really need to sleep.’<br/>
‘It might surprise you, but I know that feeling.’<br/>
‘How could you possibly understand what I am feeling?’ Alex’ voice was accusing, anger began to rise in it and Desmond knew quite well how the virus reacted to someone trying to brush his problems off once he decided to do entrust them. His piercing blue eyes told Desmond enough to tread very careful now.<br/>
‘As Abstergo held me captive, I was forced to relive the life of my ancestors.’<br/>
‘Yes, I know that much, Desmond.’<br/>
‘Let me speak, will you? They put me in there longer than it was safe for me. I started seeing things. I started seeing ghosts around me, hearing voices. At some point it got so bad I was my ancestors again, running through cities I never visited but knew by heart somehow. It had only gotten better after I was basically only my mind, lost in the animus. I still dream about them sometimes. It is not as bad as yours I believe, but I can try to imagine what you are going through, and I know to hell that it isn’t pleasant.’<br/>
Alex had calmed down a bit. ‘I forget it sometimes.’<br/>
‘What?’<br/>
‘That everyone has their burdens.’<br/>
‘Hey, that’s only normal.’</p><p>Another moment of silence passed.<br/>
‘I’m sorry for breaking in here without asking’, Alex finally said, voice barely more than a whisper.<br/>
‘Shut it. The door was open. And you would never have to ask me for anything. I am here if you need help. Even if it’s just you sitting there in silence.’<br/>
‘Thank you.’<br/>
‘Come here.’ He pulled the other in a tight embrace, feeling the tension in Alex’ body, and started gently rubbing his back until he loosened up a little. It took some time but in the end, Alex hugged him back. He was always difficult with bodily contact, but Desmond knew that and didn’t mind. ‘You can always come to me if you need any help. I promise I won’t tell anyone. I am here for you.’<br/>
Alex’ grip on him got stronger. ‘I know, Desmond. That’s why I came to you.’</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>You can prompt a story like this yourself if you want! Just head over to my tumblr @fandom-necromancer, message me on twitter @Schreibmachin4 or contact me in any way!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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